Adventures in Yard Sales - Part Two

Tomorrow is the big yard sale.  As I look out my window right now, and the watch the pouring rain, I am just hoping that all of this effort amounts to something.  Per weather.com, it should be nice tomorrow.  Of course, if it rains all day today, the ground will be nice and soggy.  Nothing I can do about the rain.   But it would have been nice if the rain held off until Sunday.

I put the ad on Craigslist, and also put that if there were specific items people wanted, I would allow presales. In hindsight, I created more work and stress for myself.  If they were really interested, then they can come to the main sale.  Instead, I allowed myself to let them infiltrate my home.

My home....which right now (pictures to come in the next post about the sale), is wall to wall boxes.  It really looks like I am moving. 

So back to the people....they have been an interesting lot.  I had one who e-mailed me and asked if I was selling Pottery Barn, William Sonoma, and anything pure silver.  Uh....no....if I had that, then I probably wouldn't be selling it at a yard sale.

I had one woman who didn't show, after going back and forth in e-mails about what she wanted.  She had my name, address, cell phone, and e-mail.  But just didn't show.  Thanks lady....  A few have come and purchased miscellaneous items.  Clothes, a few toys, some movies.  A typical yard sale haul.  One of them really didn't know what she wanted, but whatever.

But my two favorite stories involve 2 friends (why am I not surprised.....).

Lady A wanted a few toys.  Asked if she could come within the hour. Then never showed.  I sent her an e-mail about 2.5 hrs later and said I wasn't sure what happened, but I had an appointment (which she knew about), so sorry we missed each other.  She responded...she came, she rang the bell, she knocked.  No one answered.  You have a blue house right?

She went to the wrong house.  *sigh*  She was at the opposite end of the street.  She eventually came later in the afternoon and bought what she said she wanted.  I have 2 tricycles, and she said, Oh, my friend R might want those, I will talk to her.

Several days later, R called.  Lady A gave her my phone number (which I thought was a little rude).  She wanted to come to get the bikes.  I told her I wasn't home at that moment.  She was annoyed.  She asked to come the next day....I said I get home from work at 3pm....she was annoyed that I wasn't home during the day.  Will I hold them for her?  No promises.

She called again last night, but I missed the call.  I got it about an hour after she called.  Tried to return the call, and her phone wasn't accepting messages.  I texted her....no response.  I am just laughing at all of this.  I am sure she thinks I am just beyond annoying....how dare I not be home???  Whatever.

We have made $56 in presale so far (as noted on my side hustle tally).  I was so worried we wouldn't make $50, so that hurdle is crossed.  Wish us luck tomorrow at the real sale!  I just need this stuff G-O-N-E!!!!

Adventures in Yard Sales - Part One

Despite reading alot about how to have a yard sale, we have never actually done it.  Talked about it...but never did it.  Most of what I read said it is better to have several smaller ones over the course of years, than saving it all up and having a huge one ever 10 years.  Mostly so you can sell stuff while there is still some interest in fad type items.

Oh well...we are having a huge one with a decade worth of crap treasures waiting for a new home.

This yard sale has several concurrent objectives:

• Clean out Attic (see Personal goals 2011)
• Make money (see Financial goals 2011)
• Entertain you guys.

First, let's survey the damage.  The following are pictures from my attic (sorry they are a little dark, and not that great), before we started.  *sigh*  Believe it or not, it was organized chaos.  Like was grouped with like.  And we have cleaned and organized it before, just never was successful in getting rid of alot.  I Craigslisted some stuff, and sold clothes over the years, but this is where we are at, in June 2011.

Looking down the length of the attic

Far end of attic

Christmas stuff

One side

Dormer Area

Other Side

It is somewhat appalling how much stuff we have.  Granted, it was collected over time, but seriously.....some of this is absurd.  For example, we have like 20 sets of sheets.  I think my mom bought them for us over time.  Unless we are running a hotel, we don't need this many.  Most of them I don't even like.  So I washed and folded them, and if they can go to another home....great.

I also found binders from 2006 when the kids were in preschool.  I kept every daily "schedule" of what they did....all in order, in a binder, sorted into tabs by month.  OK....do I really need to know that they fingerpainted on 2/16 and had carrot sticks for snack?  NO.  Those were pitched.  I kept the boxes of all the art and such to go through later and streamline.  No time right now for that, but I have the boxes together waiting for me (it isn't like I was selling that stuff....unless....maybe my kids are Ar-TEESTS, and I can sell it for thousands!!!)

Our first pass at emptying the attic went well.  Our playroom now looks like the attic barfed all over it, but we needed somewhere to put it.  There was only one item that G-man and I had to discuss getting rid of vs. keeping.  That was Bossy's bouncy chair.  I said get rid of it, but with tears running down my face.  I was trying to be practical.  But there are so many memories with that chair.  In the end, we kept the cover (for his memory box) and pitched the frame.

I can't wait to show you what the attic looks like now!!!  But alas, you will have to wait.  I know you are as excited as I am.

To Yard Sale or Not to Yard Sale

I have alot of little things....things that don't sell well on Craigslist, but in person, an impulse buyer might say....HEY!!!  I need that!

I have a TON of kids clothes.  Over the years I have sold alot, but I still have a ton.  I probably should try consignment, but I am sort of scared of it.  Don't ask.  I have books and toys and misc stuff.  In total....I have the makings of a yard sale!!

But yard sales are alot of work.  Part of me says...what if I put in all these hours and make $50?  It wouldn't be worth it.  I could donate it...and yeah, I get the tax write off...but I kind of want the cash.  I have tried selling on Craigslist, and have done alright, but I think alot of my stuff is not what sells on Craigslist.

So....what do I do?  Thoughts, oh bloggy friends?

Someone send me some positive energy tonight....**UPDATE**

G-man and I are sitting and working on budget matters.

Things are still tense, and he currently isn't living here.  He seems to think we can squeeze blood from a turnip. I know I shouldn't post this....but here goes (to some degree).

He is trying to find "extra" money to pay rent in our marital budget.  He asked me where we can pull money from.  I told him....uh, nowhere.  I am angry that he thinks that his actions should result in a ME figuring out how to pay for it.  So I said...fine....let's start from scratch.

He is completely clueless.  And one of MY steps towards change is having to give up some control.  So instead of just working on the budget myself, WE will do it.  The only place I can really see where there is to "pull" from is our Christmas Fund.  And I told him that I do not want the kids to pay for his mistakes.

He has agreed to work some extra shifts.....amazing how he is NOW willing to do it.  When I have suggested it in the past as a way of generating extra income to GET OUT OF DEBT....he wasn't willing.  Why should he have to do any more than he was....

So tonight.....when you feel that cold rush around you....and you just are feeling that something is off balance in the world....that is probably the JuJu seeping out from my house.

**UPDATE**

Wow....he had no idea what things cost.  Food...he said $250 a month for the family.  HAHAHA.  Gas...he said $300.....it WAS $400 before the prices went up....now we are closer to $450.   He forgot some major expenses.

I think the small exercise did help some.  He sees that this isn't easy.  He sees that every dollar is obligated to something.

End result....he needs to work a minimum of 8 hrs of overtime a month, above and beyond his office and part time jobs....to pay his "rent."  I showed him how much money that is...and if he had just done this before....when we talked about it in regards to debt....that we would be in a much different place right now.  

He and I are trying to work things out....I am still not sure.  We did talk about him moving home, just from a money point of view.  I would love to have that OT to put toward debt!  But there are more things to discuss.  Will let you all know if I can.

Sometimes The Obvious Answer is well....OBVIOUS

I consider myself an intelligent woman.  Granted, I have made stupid choices....but as a whole, at least 22 of the 24 crayons in the box are sharp.

When I have worked out my budgets, it is based on the typical month pay (give or take).  For example, if they cut hours at G-man's part time job, his weekly paycheck will be a little lower.  But it usually balances out in the end.  His main job paycheck is fairly static (I am curious to see what that number will be with tax differences, medical insurance, and FSA differences).  The biggest wild card in all of this is OVERTIME.

(NOTE:  We agreed that OT is NOT a side hustle)

In the past, overtime pretty much got sucked up into life.  Mostly, when we went over in a budget category.....food being the number one culprit.  How stupid we are.....

Now, as soon as there is overtime on a paycheck, it gets moved out of the main account immediately.  It isn't budgeted money.  No more getting sucked into the darkness of the great abyss.  It will get held until all of the budgeted expenses are paid, and then that EXTRA money will go where it belongs....as an EXTRA payment to something.

G-man had to get up at 2:30am.....yes, you read that right, 2:30am....to be at work for 4:00am this morning.  He will be earning OT all day (and without going into detail about his job, this is the stuff he LOVES to do), and he will work his regular shift tonight.  Today will be about 10-11 hrs of OT (unless they are able to finish early).  At time and a half, that is about 15-16 hrs of regular time......2 days worth......or about 20% extra.

That EXTRA money....because that is what it is.....will make an EXTRA payment somewhere.

(I am being vague about the somewhere because of the new mortgage refi.  Depending on when it closes, and we get the escrow money back from the current loan, we will have to see where we are at on the snowball.  The current plan is that the month off from our mortgage and the escrow will pay off CC1 and Student Loan 2, and part of Christmas nonsense.  If OT hits before the mortgage closes, then OT will be used for the above stuff, and the mortgage stuff finishes off the above, and the remainder goes to the next debt victim).

I probably make things harder with all my little piles.  But it works for me.  I need to visually see it all broken out.  So for now....the piles stay.  His OT today will probably be in his paycheck on Jan 24, so we have a few weeks before we will see it.  But I am looking forward to it!!!

I passed!

I passed my ChaCha exam!!!

I got a question from my previous post....What is ChaCha??

Basically, it is a system that you can text or call and ask questions.  They can be "real" questions...like "When was the American Civil War fought?" all the way to "What should I have for dinner?"  And behind the scenes there are people who research the answer for you. 

I passed an entry level test for an "expeditor" who is the one to give you quick turn around answers.  If it is something that needs more research, I send it on to a specialist.   Each type of position is a pay per answer set up.  There isn't a set amount per question...it is based on the total number of questions per month.  My position is the lowest, and then there are positions that pay more.

They don't hire often, so I am excited that I passed!   This will allow me to have the system open at home and make a few extra dollars.  Plus, it looks fun!

Side hustlin' is starting.